by Seth Lakso, Special for USA TODAY Sports

by Seth Lakso, Special for USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON â?? On Monday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks came up with a nickname for Patrick Kane.

"Benefish," they dubbed the 24-year-old.

The name came about thanks to all the times Kane found himself the "beneficiary" of playing on a line with Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell.

After the Blackhawks' 3-2 Stanley Cup-clinching win against the Boston Bruins in Game 6 at TD Garden on Monday, Kane found out just how much he had benefited, when he became the fourth American to ever be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The trophy, given to the NHL's most valuable postseason performer, left Kane, whose 19 postseason points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 23 games led the Blackhawks, in full-fledged appreciation mode.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "It's a great tribute to my teammates and how they played with me. I think there are a lot of other players that could have received the award, such as Sharpy (Patrick Sharp), (Corey) Crawford and Bicks (Bryan Bickell). â?¦ But to get that award is just something special."

After netting two goals in his first 15 postseason games, Kane erupted for seven in his final eight, thanks in large part to a decision by Chicago coach Joel Quenneville to shake up his lines in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings.

Quenneville bumped Kane and Bickell up to his top line with Toews at center.

The result was a goal and a team-high seven shots on net for Kane in the Blackhawks' 3-2 win.

In Game 6, with a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final on the line, Kane poured in three more goals â?? including the game-winner at the 11:40 mark in the second overtime.

A goal in Game 5 against the Kings got things rolling, and a hat trick in the deciding Game 6 against the Kings officially marked Kane's arrival and punched Chicago's ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

"I knew I needed to get the puck and start moving with it and try to create some chances," Kane said when asked to remember back to his struggles entering Game 4 against the Kings. "It ended up working out. I mean, you're playing with two great players with Toews and Bickell. They made hockey really easy the past couple weeks for me."

After returning to the second line for Games 1-3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Quenneville reunited the trio for Games 4, 5 and 6 and saw similar success.

Kane responded with a goal (and an assist) in Game 4. He then celebrated the six-year anniversary of his first overall selection in the 2007 NHL entry draft with a two-goal outburst in Game 5 to bring Chicago to within a game of the title.

Bickell, who netted the game-tying goal Monday at the 18:44 mark in the third period, said he was thrilled to see Kane awarded the Conn Smythe.

"We played great with each other," Bickell said. "To do it the way he did, to come back and get a hat trick in Game 5 (against L.A.) to push us to the Stanley Cup and then the series he had this series, was unbelievable. He stepped up. We were on his shoulders all the way."

For Kane, who now has two Stanley Cups to his name, Monday was a special night.

"It's something no one can ever take away from me now that I've won it, and it feels good. But that other trophy (the Stanley Cup) is a lot better, and I'll remember that one a lot more," he said.